


If You Can't Say Something Nice, Don't Say Nothing At All

by scarlettletterr



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Vernon Boyd & Erica Reyes, Alpha Scott, Derek needs to hear that he's awesome, M/M, POV Derek, Protective Stiles, Stiles says good things about Derek, the teen rating is for language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-23
Updated: 2015-08-23
Packaged: 2018-04-16 21:14:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4640460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarlettletterr/pseuds/scarlettletterr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek keeps walking in on Stiles saying good shit about him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	If You Can't Say Something Nice, Don't Say Nothing At All

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was written for [Allie](dylandhoechlin.tumblr.com) who's awesome and has awesome ideas all the time!  
> Based on [this tumblr prompt & tags](http://dylandhoechlin.tumblr.com/post/127374052573)  
> Title from Bambi!
> 
> Un-beta'd so sorry for all the terrible mistakes!
> 
>    
> Disclaimer : These characters belong to MTV and Jeff Davis ; I do not own any TW character or material  
> come say hi on [tumblr](http://pfudorqueen.tumblr.com)

The first time it happens, Derek is in the kitchen preparing a cup of tea, just getting out of bed with eyes still sleepy, when he hears Stiles’ voice in the living room. He’s not even surprised anymore, the pack comes by his place all the time because “It’s easier that way”. Derek doesn’t really care anymore: he’s used to having people around -that’s what happens when you grow up with a large pack- and he has to admit he misses it sometimes: not being alone.  
So no, it’s not a surprise to hear Stiles in the living room, and if he listens carefully he can also hear the heartbeats of Erica and Lydia. That’s probably why there’s no fruits left in the basket. The pack tends to raid his fridge. That’s okay, Derek guesses. At least he’s useful that way.  
What’s more of a surprise though, is what Stiles is saying.

 

“...I mean look at that! _Le comte de Monte-Cristo_ and Pablo Neruda’s whole collection of poems in Spanish.”

“So what?”, says Lydia. “It doesn’t mean anything. My mom has book in French in her library, doesn’t mean she actually read them or even speak French. It’s probably just for show.”

“Derek? Really? You think Derek cares about stuff like that? People judging him based on what he reads? Come on Lyds, you’re the smart one in the room. Well. I guess as long as Derek’s not in there with us!”

 

There’s the sound of a pillow hitting a body, and Stiles’ laughter fills the room.

 

“Speaking different languages doesn’t mean you’re smart.”

“Yeah but Derek is. Also he speaks French and Spanish. He’s awesome. Don’t hate Lyds!”

 

Derek goes back silently to his cup of tea, a small smile tugging on his lips.

 

\------

The second time it happens, the pack is in the forest, looking for pixies. It’s the middle of the night and Derek was really looking for a good night of sleep, for once. It’s been months since he’s been able to sleep through the whole night -or years, if you’re being honest here..-.  
They decided it was better to break into groups, to cover more territory. Isaac went with Allison, Erica with Boyd, Lydia with Jackson, and Stiles with Scott. Derek? Well. He’s always been a better tracker on his own anyway -or that’s what he tells himself-.  
He was following a track when he heard a branch cracking, and Stiles’ voice raising from the trees.

 

“I’m telling you Scott, you should suck it up and go to Derek. I know you want to be a good alpha and all that, but you can’t do that if you don’t ask for help!”

“And you think I should go to Derek for that? To ask him how to be a good alpha?”

 

There’s sarcasm in Scott’s voice and, why shouldn’t there be? Scott is right. Derek was a shitty alpha. He knows it. Everyone knows it.

 

“I can’t believe you right now! Derek did the best he could? Do I need to remind you he had just lost his sister? His family was dead! He needed a pack, and yes he didn’t always do the right thing, like changing Jackson was probably the dumbest idea ever, but that’s unfair to judge him for that. He was never meant to be an alpha. He did what he could. And he saved Isaac, Erica and Boyd didn’t he?”

 

There’s just the sound of the teenagers heartbeats in the night, and Derek waits, frozen in place, anxious.

 

“Yeah. You’re right. Sorry.”

“Honestly dude. Derek was never meant to be an alpha, but he wasn’t a bad one.”

 

\------

The third time it happens, Derek is shopping -yes it happens occasionally- for new clothes -his last good shirt got ripped off last weekend- at Macy’s. He’s got two black shirts and an aubergine one -that’s what it says on the tag- and is walking towards the underwear section when he spots Stiles with Erica. The werewolf is looking at one of the ad for Calvin Klein’s new collection, with a dreamy look on his face.

 

“Look at how hot he is Stiles! I want ten like this. Do you think if I buy CK underwear I’ll get the model as a gift?”

“Meh. He’s not that hot.”

“What? Are you serious? Look at his abs! Are you sure you’re bi?”

“I mean, yeah sure he’s good looking, but Derek is way hotter.”

 

Derek doesn’t hear the rest of the conversation, ears turning pink and fleeing toward the cash register as fast as he can.

 

\------

The fourth time it happens, Derek is buying ice cream in the Safeway near his house. Jules, the barista he’d gone on a couple of dates with, had just told him that very same morning when he was making her breakfast after their night together, that she wasn’t actually interested in dating him, she just wanted to fuck him because he was hot.  
Derek had liked Jules. She was nice, she had a loud laugh, and bright brown eyes. She was witty and pretty, and even if he hadn’t been in love with her, he liked her.  
So, really, he is allowed to be a bit down about it.  
He’s hesitating between _Boom Chocolatta!_ and _Chocolate Therapy_ (and, really, how fitting is that!) when he hears Stiles’ voice coming from two aisles on the left.

 

“... and you’re the dumbest person I know if all you were interested in was sex! Derek is an incredible person, he’s smart and sarcastic and fucking selfless, and so much more than a piece of meat. You’re a terrible human being for acting the way you did. He’s an actual person with actual feelings and what you did was shitty, and I hope you step on lego pieces everyday for the rest of your life! And that you only get pretentious clients at your pretentious coffee shop who make you redo their drinks over and over again! And that you run out of soy milk!”

 

The end of the sentence had been shouted through the store -probably because Jules was leaving in haste- and Derek would have been able to hear it even without his supernatural hearing. The werewolf picks _Boom Chocolatta!_

 

\------

The fifth time it happens, Derek is entering the living room, and Stiles has his back turned to him, and he’s speaking with wild gestures.

 

“We’re not using Derek as bait as you crazy! That fucking witch made it perfectly clear that she was after him because he’s a Hale and you want to send him directly into her arms? Are you insane?”

“Stiles why don’t we just ask Derek..” Scott starts, seeing him entering the room, but Stiles cuts him off immediately.

“No way! Derek is the biggest self-sacrificing idiot I’ve ever met, of course he’s gonna accept to be used as bait but Derek is _not a fucking toy_ okay! We don’t know how powerful that witch is and we’re not sending him there blind! Yeah he’s a strong and proud werewolf but that doesn’t mean he gets to be kidnapped and tortured again for the sake of it! I’m tired of people treating him like shit! So _no_! Derek Hale will _not_ be used as bait and that’s final! Or I swear to you I’m gonna tell Allison about that thing in third grade.”

 

Scott’s eyes bulge slightly and then Erica clears her throat and jerks her head in Derek’s direction, and Stiles’ heartbeat suddenly picks up as he slowly turns.

 

“Hum… Ahah! Derek! You’re here!”

 

Stiles’ heart is beating fast in his chest, and Derek raises his eyebrow: of course he’s here, it’s his apartment after all.

 

“So, yeah! Witch! We need a plan! That doesn’t involve using anyone as bait because we don’t know how powerful she is and that’d be pretty stupid right? So not using anyone as bait! No one. We need to be sure everybody is safe! Right? That’s what people do! In a pack. Right? Okay. Yeah. SO!”

 

It’s almost funny to watch Stiles panicking and flailing like that. It’s endearing. But probably a bit cruel because Stiles’ face is turning a strange shade of red, so Derek just smiles softly at him, and keeps walking, bumping his shoulder with Stiles’. The human clears his throat, and Scott starts talking with Lydia about a possible plan, and Derek just watches Stiles through his eyelashes, while Stiles try very hard not to look at him.  
And Derek just lets his fingers caress the back of Stiles’ hand, in a gesture that could pass as an accident, but then Stiles smiles in return, and Derek thinks that maybe he won’t need that ice-cream anyway, because he already has a Stiles, and is there anything better to make him feel good?


End file.
